Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Need Help?" link.

Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system's designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of overnments and the international community for action. At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for 'sustainable development'. One of the key agreements adopted at Rio was the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Convention establishes three main goals: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) is located in Montreal and is administered by UNEP. Under the overall guidance of the Executive Secretary and supervision of the Chief, Resource Mobilization and Conference Services Division, the incumbent will perform the following tasks:

Responsibilities

1. Plan and organize meetings: Determine staffing requirements for meetings or conferences, conduct interviews of potential short-term candidates and assist the Human Resources Management Service in the recruitment of these candidates; Draft Special Service Agreements (SSAs) for free-lance translation work, ensure the dispatch of documents and reference material and arrange for payment upon submission of work; Ensure the provision of appropriate conference facilities, and liaise with other UN offices and host governments to obtain staff, meeting room facilities and/or other contributions to SCBD meetings outside Montreal; Draft host government agreements; Prepare costing of meetings and Conferences; 2. Service meetings and conferences: Carry out day-to-day supervision and payment of short-term meeting staff; Liaise with the travel clerk to ensure appropriate travel arrangements for support staff, interpreters and delegates; Inform short-term staff and delegates of visa requirements; Solve problems related to technical equipment, physical facilities and ensure their proper maintenance; Liaise with relevant staff on meeting documentation and distribution. 3. Follow-up on meetings and conferences: Ensure through the supervisor the payment of meeting costs; Prepare statistical data and maintain these in appropriate databases; Prepare, on quarterly basis, a list of projected meetings and conferences. 4. Performs other functions as may be requested.

Competencies

Professionalism: Demonstrates professional competence with information and communication issues; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; Demonstrated planning and organizing skills; Ability to coordinate the work of others, work to tight deadlines and handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; Ability to develop clear goals; and a good knowledge of environment agenda. Communication: Highly developed communication (spoken, written, public speaking and presentational) skills, including ability to present sensitive issues/positions; Ability to translate complex technical and policy issues and concepts into practical guidance for staff. Client orientation: Ability to identify clients' information needs and matching them with appropriate solutions. Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in international relations, business
administration, management or related area. A first level university degree in combination with
qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in international relations, business administration, conference management or related field, of which two years should be in an international organization, preferably the UN.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in written English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates for this position may include a substantive assessment
which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

United Nations Considerations

The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.